Peruvian Airlines jet bursts into flames after veering off runway in Peru

UpdatedMarch 29, 2017 — 11.39amfirst published at 11.23am

A Boeing jet operated by Peruvian Airlines caught fire on Tuesday while landing at an airport near the Andean town of Jauja in central Peru after it swerved on the runway, but there were no serious injuries, a government minister said.

Peruvian Airlines said in a statement that the Boeing 737-300 jet drove off the runway for unspecified reasons during the scheduled landing, after swerving to the right. It said that all 141 people on board the flight, which originated in Lima, were evacuated safely.

Authorities are investigating the incident, which occurred about 4.30pm local time, involving the Boeing 737-300 jet at the high-altitude airport in an agricultural valley some 265 kilometres from Lima, the capital.

The fire likely started when the wing scraped the runway, Interior Minister Carlos Basombrio said.